Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the characters and story, unless otherwise stated. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Edit: Welcome to another long chapter. Was meant to be split in two, but was too lazy to try. Bye!

Kira yawned lightly as she leaned back against a wall, her eyes heavy as she struggle not to fall asleep once more. She was back in the cave she had come to when she had first come to Treasure Town, although it was now empty and only she inhabited the cave. Of course, it was a nice change of pace since it had been her first night, but it would have been a bit lonely if it hadn't been for Leaf and Ragnarök talking to her now that she was awake. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't really asked about what had happened to Xatu when Ragnarök had beaten him.

Kira quickly shook her head and yawned loudly, tearing her mind from the idea of questioning her friend. Sure, he may have been falling a bit more quiet when she was listening, but she still trusted him enough not to question his actions. Besides, no matter what had happened, she knew it was for the greater good. She was that much closer to returning home because of him now, and she knew she would have to thank him sooner or later. Maybe it would be when he warmed up, though. He was still giving her a cold shoulder.

Shaking her head to clear her mind of the thoughts, Kira stood and walked to the entrance, watching over the world that was soon to be a piece of her past. Sure, it did bring a bit of disappointment to her heart to see it disappear, but she was sure that she would move on one day. At the moment, though, this wondrous sunrise was what she wanted to care about. She thought of it as her last, and that made her regret her decision. Even Sage's reassuring words from yesterday seemed to be completely nulled by what she felt at the moment. Why was it so hard to make up her mind after so long now? Why was it so hard to finally decide on her next course of action? She wanted to go home, but what about this place? Would she ever see it again? Would... Would this all just become something that she would think of as a dream? She so desperately didn't want it to be that. Desperately, she didn't want this to end.

"So this is what you decide to do when there's nothing around to entertain you, huh?" a voice whispered from behind her, shocking Kira greatly. She turned and met face-to-face with a smiling Espeon, but there was something creepy about him. "You know, I've heard of a Snivy causing trouble for the Dark One and Necrozma, and seeing that Xatu isn't on his mountain anymore, I can't help but feel that this little Snivy is trying to do something bad." He smirked and licked his lips, his eyes flashing a dark red color. "If you could perhaps point me in the direction of the one I seek, maybe I won't have to be so harsh on you, Kira."

Kira grit her teeth and glared at him. Something in her screamed danger, but why was the emotion she felt most when in this creature's sight fear? Why was this creature so familiar and yet so unfamiliar at the same time. She felt like she should have known him, but she didn't. He knew her, though, and every single thing he had said had been from her and her actions. She didn't tell him, though. He was such a creep!

"Not going to answer, huh?" He chuckled and shook his head, glaring at her with hate. "Well, I figured you were strong, but you're nothing more than a scaredy-cat. When Xatu died, I thought maybe it was because you could control your fear. Instead, I find you in this state in this pathetic cave." He chuckled and started to move back to the darkness. "Well, because of that, I'll just go back home and watch your struggle. Don't disappoint me like Shinko did so many years ago." He simply chuckled before he disappeared from her vision.

"That was... weird," Kira said to herself, shaking her head as she slowly began to leave the cave, sliding down the mountain and to the main trail. "That thing must have been Kyofu. He wasn't so scary, but how could he tell I was scared? If he really is the leader of the Infected, then why didn't he seem any stronger than just a normal Espeon? Then again, why does he look somewhat normal. He reminds me of you both, Leaf and Ragnarök. He isn't really anything special, is he?"

"I don't know about you, but something about that Pokémon just gives me the shivers," Leaf admitted, chuckling to herself as Kira stepped onto the trail. "Something about his Flame was just so off to me, but I couldn't tell what it was. He seemed to familiar, and I know that he looked like Kyofu, but was he really? He felt so... weak. He felt like a normal Pokémon to me, so I have no idea what to think about him."

Ragnarök simply chuckled before he shook his head, grunting before he spoke. "I could sense everything within him," the rage-filled Snivy growled. "His power was unlike anything I have ever experienced, and I've killed gods before. I don't know how, but he's hiding the full power of the Fear he holds within him. I think that he might have found a way to hide it from us, but what I do know is that he is a lot stronger than we would have thought. Now that I think about it, a sudden weight feels like it's been lifted from my shoulders. I think... Do you think Kyofu turned on Necrozma? We've never met him before, and we saw about him in that book, so... What do you two think?"

Kira shrugged and clenched her fist. "He didn't cause us any trouble, so I don't see why we should have to worry about him at the moment." She lowered her gaze to the ground and sighed lightly. "If he did turn on Necrozma, I can't even begin to think how powerful he may be. He wasn't injured in any way, but it could have been ages ago that he had done so... But if so, why did he refer to another being as the Dark One and as though Necrozma was still alive? It makes no sense."

"Kyofu was always a strange beast," Leaf told her. "Wasn't he the same being that had been "destroyed" by Shinko all those years ago? From what I can recall of those events, the entire mountain had been forced into an eruption only days later, so her attack mustn't have been all that powerful compared to him. I wonder if he's just durable and uses his Fear to fight instead. I'm not sure, but I don't have enough information on this stuff. Maybe we should ask Duke about this."

"No," Kira quickly answered, picking up the pace as she headed towards a northern part of Treasure Town - the Guild of Wigglytuff. "I don't need him to worry about nay encounters with that beast again. I say we just ask Wigglytuff about anything he knows or if he could help us with anything. We met once before during my training, so I have no idea if he'll remember me now." Kira then looked down to her hands. These same hands had been the ones Ragnarök had used to kill Xatu. "But... I have blood on my hands too. Will he trust me?"

Ragnarök was the one who responded with, "That's blood I spilled on your hands, Kira. Wigglytuff won't notice a single drop of it due to it also having been mental. If he says anything, just say that you had tried to help him, but he had attacked and abandoned you." Ragnarök sighed and grit his teeth. "It wasn't your fault at all, dear friend. It was all mine and his."

Kira nodded in response, smiling as she focused back on the real world. By that time, she was already up the large stars that led to the guild. She shivered as a cold breeze rolled over her back, but it was refreshing somehow. Quickly shaking her head, she took a quick step forward onto the cold metal grate that separated her and the guild entrance.

Almost immediately, a dull cry echoed out from under. Kira almost jumped off in shock, but she knew that this was coming. Sage had brought her here once before, but he hadn't really taken her inside. He had just show her the grate and explained a bit about them all. As she was thinking to herself, she was snapped from her thoughts as the bars in front of the guild entrance began to rise up. Kira quickly shook her head and started forward, slipping under the bars when they were about halfway up. The cold metal was like that of the grate and breeze, but why so? Why was everything so cold now? It was starting to scare her.

Quickly shaking her head for, like, the third or fourth time that day, she quickly slid down the ladder that lead to the second floor of the base. But that place wasn't her destination. She quickly moved to the right and went down a second ladder and to the base floor, which was where Wigglytuff would likely be in his chamber.

As her feet hit the ground, there was another sudden chill, and Kira knew that this one wasn't like any of the others. She was under the ground, and the likelihood of a breeze that cold reaching here was slim. Kira felt frozen for a moment before she turned and stepped away from the ladder, heading to the large wooden door where the guildmaster usually resided. Kira herself hadn't seen it before, but Sage made sure she knew most of where everyone was; he didn't let her sleep one night until she had been able to say everything without him saying a single word.

As she sighed lightly, she knocked on the door lightly. She heard nothing for a short moment, but then the doors flung open, slamming into her and knocking her back several feet. The sudden blow had winded and shocked her, which kept her on the ground for several moments as she tried to catch her breath. Upon lifting her head, she noticed a bird-like Pokémon Sage had told her was Chatot. Behind him was a rather cute and fluffy Pokémon known as Wigglytuff, who had pink and white fur and almost looked like a rabbit. Both of them had rather panicked expressions, although it was harder to tell from Wigglytuff for some reason.

"Umm... Sorry if I'm interrupting something important," she groaned as she slowly pushed herself to her feet. Even after all she had been through, she was still easily winded and hurt even by everyday things. She had found that out rather quickly after the fight with Xatu. "I just... I wanted to ask you about something is all."

"Sorry, kiddo, but we have some serious trouble heading straight this way!" Chatot squawked, filling Kira with worry. "There's this Pokémon heading straight here, and anyone we've already sent has returned with nothing on the beast! As far as we're aware, it might be Kyurem, but no one has been able to confirm this. W-we're planning on evacuating the town. M-maybe you should come with us, kiddo. It's too dangerous to stay here!"

"What I have to ask about is even more dangerous than whatever Pokémon may be heading here," Kira quickly stated, the shiver crawling over her once more. "I came to ask about anything you may have regarding the beast known as Kyofu. I... I had an encounter with him earlier, a-and I need anything that can help me find a strategy around him."

"I'm sorry, but we can't help you there," Wigglytuff stated. "We have to evacuate town, and that comes before anything else. If you help us, then we'll tell you whatever you may need to know. Otherwise, I recommend you evacuate yourself."

As Kira was about to speak again, a brown, short Pokémon dug over to them. She wasn't sure why, but everyone believed this was just they head of a Pokémon known as Diglett. The Pokémon seemed to be exhausted, probably having dug from somewhere far away in a short time.

"It's too late to evacuate the town," he quickly gasped, shivering lightly. as what seemed to be ice crystals began to form on the ground. "I tried my hardest to do what you needed, but I couldn't get any further then the town. The ground is frozen solid, and it's reaching well below freezing temperatures. I'm not sure just yet, but I believe I can confirm your reports of it being Kyurem. I don't know how or why that beast is awake after so long, but something must have happened at Mount Travail. Wasn't it sleeping there because of Xatu?"

"You're right, but Sage told us that Xatu had taken off some time yesterday after Kira had arrived to battle him," Chatot whispered, then turning and looking at her. "Because of you, we're about to be attacked by one of the most fearsome Pokémon in the entire world. Because you wanted to battle the being that kept that beast asleep, we're all going to die."

"Then I'll go ahead and face him!" she snapped back, making Chatot flinch in surprise. "All I ask is you give me any information regarding Kyofu and its past. I need to know everything about this beast in order to stop it from killing anyone!"

Chatot grit his teeth. He seemed about ready to snap, but Wigglytuff spoke first. "We'll give you that information once Kyurem is no longer a threat to this town," he said seriously. "I'd go myself, but I have to make sure our members are still safe and well. Chatot, I want you to look through the files for Kyofu. And Diglett, find somewhere safe to hide okay?"

Both were silent for a moment before they nodded. Diglett disappeared into the ground as Chatot began to head towards the guildmaster's chambers. There was a moment of silence that followed before Wigglytuff chuckled lightly. Kira looked up to him confused, shivering as the chills became stronger and stronger.

"I'd love to make friends with this beast, but even I know that Kyurem won't calm down without either truths or ideals to feed off of," Wigglytuff told her. "Kira, make sure you don't harm any innocent civilians, okay? And make sure to get him out of the town before anything else. I don't want any blood spilled in this town."

Kira nodded lightly and raised a hand to her chest. There was a moment where she had forgotten, but she then recalled that Sage had crushed the black opal that had tied her to Duke's family. She quickly shook her head and clenched her fist, internally promising to take down this beast before it could cause anyone harm. Quickly, she rushed away and up the ladders to the outside world. While she didn't have the information she wanted just yet, she would have to wait and take down this beast before anything else.

As she began to run down the stairs, ice crystals began to suddenly form. Kira let out a loud yip as she hit a rather large patch, rolling down most of the stairs on her way to the bottom. By the time she had finally stopped, Kira was laughing at herself for being such a fool and not slowing down when she knew that ice would be forming.

"Than again, what do I know about Kyurem other than the fact it can form ice?" she mumbled as she stood up, the grass in front of her becoming solid in small blocks of ice. "Such a weird Pokémon. I wonder what it was doing before Xatu stopped it." Silently, Kira shook her head and headed toward where the chill and ice was coming from. "Whatever Kyurem is, I doubt it could be too bad."

Oh, Kira found out pretty soon that she was very wrong. Upon sight of the monster, Kira was sent flying high into the air, her body covered in ice crystals that kept her from moving even a single muscle. She slammed into the ground with the force of a miniature meteor. Upon impact, though, the crystals shattered and allowed her to move. Luckily, she hadn't broken anything just yet.

"That was one hell of a ride," Leaf chuckled from within her head. "Did you see the aura of that thing? That Fear aura has to be the strongest I've seen to date. I wonder how Xatu was keeping that thing asleep. Doesn't matter now, though. We have to take it out before anything bad can happen."

"I would, but I can't fight that thing on my own," Kira admitted. "That thing just threw me into the air without me even getting the change to fight back. How am I going to beat something that I can't even find?"

"You just need to be faster than it," Ragnarök told her, his Flame erupting to massive size as he spoke. "I'm not as fast as that beast, and so I know I stand no chance in a physical battle. We just have to outrun it and its ice attacks, but how would we do that? Leaf can't control your body yet."

Kira smirked and stood proudly, ice forming once more as Kyurem closed in. "I don't need to be fast. I just need to hold out until I can find a weak spot in it." She groaned as ice began to form out around her feet, almost trapping her. "But I gotta keep moving. Staying still will get me killed."

Kira smirked as she saw the beast for the first proper time. The ice slowed her greatly, but she managed to escape its hold several times before rushing at the beast. Within a certain range, the ice stopped forming. Kira suddenly took off, slamming her tail into the chest of the creature, but to no avail. It looked down at her, grinning before it opened its jaws wide.

Kira used the force that was pushing back to rocket away from the beast's maw. It slammed its jaws together, resulting in a loud crunch that had caught nothing but air. Kira was glad to have dodge the attack, but something about the sound was creepier than the thought of death.

As she stopped rolling, Kira realized ice was no longer forming. She looked up, then noticing a large rock jutting from the ground and through Kyurem and to the tops of the trees. The Pokémon had stopped moving overall, and a small trail of blood could be seen reaching down from the Pokémon to the ground from the rock.

"Breakthrough Stone Edge," a voice whispered from behind her. She suddenly turned, noticing Sage and Aaron standing side-by-side, their paws both glowing with energy. Sage chuckled and shook his hand. "Last time I hit something that hard, a Hariyama hit the ground dead."

"Yeah, but did we really have to kill it?" Aaron mumbled, heading over to the beast. "I've enjoyed studying Pokémon in my free time, so to see a dead legendary specimen is rather disappointing, Sage. I guess I shouldn't complain, though. Better dead than terrorizing the next village over."

Sage growled and walked over to his brother, slapping the Lycanroc with his harsh claws. "Just be glad I didn't tear it apart after what it did to those folks in that town," he snarled. He then turned and looked at Kira. "You need to get out of town, Kira. If Kyurem was awake, then it means something more menacing is going to follow. The last time he was awake, something called the Bittercold followed after. If history is repeating itself, then an even stronger beast will follow."

"You're right about that, but I don't think they're just going to be attacking because of Kyurem," Aaron mumbled, rubbing his cheek before turning to Kyurem. "I sense no Fear within this Pokémon, so whoever sent it knew Xatu had died. The only problem is that only we would have known that, unless Necrozma had some sort of link to it."

"I-it wasn't Necrozma," Kira whispered, her head low as she recalled Kyofu. "Aaron, Kyofu was the one who sent it, but I don't know if that's all there was to it. I was told that Xatu was keeping it asleep, but it only headed after me. It avoided the village once I had started for it. It was after only me."

Aaron was silent for a moment before he grit his teeth. "Kyofu is known for his persuasive voice, but he can also use Fear to control Pokémon. What I question is how did Kyurem not recognize Kyofu? He's a demon through and through. Anyone can see that."

"And he can disguise himself as well," Kira then added. "I thought it was my eyes tricking me, but he can somehow change his appearance into that of a normal Espeon. It's... It's not like anything I've ever seen before. I think... Do you think he can take the powers of Pokémon he's killed before?"

"Whether he can or can't, we don't have time to worry about it now," Sage interrupted, his claws flashing as blood coated his claws. "The Infected will be upon us at any moment. And if they aren't, then something even stronger than Kyurem will be launched. We have to get the citizens of the town somewhere safe before we do anything else! Capiche?"

Aaron grit his teeth before nodding and beginning to pad away. He took one last glance at Kyurem before he disappeared into the forest. Kira was about to follow after, but then felt a clawed hand on her shoulder. She turned, only to freeze as she noticed that Sage's eyes were blood-red.

"I'm only going to say this once, so listen to me very, very closely," he whispered. "If you get in my way during this or even try to stop me from tearing these beasts apart, I will do to you as I do them. Now get out of here." He then pushed her in the direction that Aaron had padded off to; Kira soon nodded and ran away.

Kira ran until she could no longer, and by then, she was at Sharpedo Bluff, her heart beating wildly as she tried to make sense of everything that had just happened. Why now was she panicking? Was it because of Kyofu? Or was something else messing with her?

"I can't handle all of this," she whispered, losing hope for what she thought was an okay reason. "I can't handle the fate of two worlds. I can't handle all this death and despair around me. Maybe it's better... maybe it'd be better if I just died."

Kira sat down and closed her eyes, hugging her knees close to her chest. Was this battle really pointless? What if she couldn't return home anyways? What if this was all just something Necrozma had done to make her feel like an idiot? Maybe there wasn't a point to it all. Maybe... maybe this all had happened because she had wanted to do something that was impossible.

"Why are you giving up now that you're so close to home?" a voice whispered from within her head. "If it was me, then I'd put all my power into going home, you know. I love my home, and I'd never want to feel like I did something useless. Even if my home was destroyed, then I'd still want to fight for its honor. After all, a world where you were born and raised is always worth fighting for."

"Who are you?" Kira whispered, her eyes shut as she tried to hold in tears. "Why are you talking to me? I thought there was only Leaf and Ragnarök within my mind? Why are you here as well, whoever you are?"

"Because I need your help to save this world as well," the voice whispered. "I am Arceus, Creator of this Pokémon world. I know it seems unlikely, but Kyofu is a threat to all of us. He destroyed hundreds of planets without so much as trying, and this one will soon fall to the same fate if we can't stop him. Unfortunately, I can't alone. He killed off my children, and that includes Necrozma. He's too powerful for me to take down alone. Even Rayquaza and Mewtwo stood no chance against him, even at half his power. I need you not to give up, Kira. Keep fighting and I'll walk beside you the entire way Please, as the Father of the Pokémon world, I ask for your assistance in taking down the one that threatens our very existence."

Kira wasn't sure what to make of the situation. The Pokémon God was asking for her help in taking down Kyofu, and yet... she was still scared. He had killed Necorzma, so that meant she had no way to return home now. Maybe if she took him on she would find a way home, but it was useless otherwise. The least she could do was try, and so she nodded. Maybe they could take Kyofu down, but what were the chances? If two legendary beasts couldn't, what chance did they have?

"Good choice," Arceus mumbled within her head. "I will try my hardest to lend a hand without Kyofu getting any wind of this, but there won't be much I can do. Even we must follow rules that we share with mortals. For now, Kira, prepare for battle. The Infected are not far off. They are large in numbers, but weak in power. A war is coming, child of humans. A war that will decide the fate of two worlds, is only moments away."

Kira wasn't exactly sure what to think. At the moment, she was sitting with her back to the wall of a villager's house. The town had been evacuated only moments ago, and now she was waiting for a signal that the Infected were on their way. Aaron and Sage were back with Wigglytuff, likely talking about measures they could take; Kira knew there wasn't much time, though. Soon, the Infected would reach them and a battle would follow.

"You still have no idea what you're doing," she reminded herself as she slowly stood, her hands now behind her head. "I mean, you know that you're still trying to save your world, but why are you participating in a war that can decide its fate? Why aren't you just running and trying to find the other Guardians so you can take 'em down, Kira? Are you just that scared?"

"Talking to yourself?" Ragnarök chuckled from within her mind. She nodded lightly, her arms crossed as she watched towards the forest. "You know, I remember that you used to talk to yourself a lot before we came here. I know it wasn't often, but you did it when something was stressing you. This, however, shouldn't stress you out that much. You have the help of a God on your side, Kira. You have nothing to fear! Except maybe Kyofu, of course, but why would he come here now? He must just be sending pawns to be testing you."

"And what if he isn't?" Kira questioned. "What if he was letting us think that, but he actually is going to be coming for us himself. We pose too much of a threat for him to ignore us, right? He threatened to kill me in case you forgot. He might actually come for us in the chaos."

"I doubt it," Leaf mumbled, her voice scratchy as though she was sick. "Kyofu doesn't seem like one to hide behind pawns. He's like the queen of a chessboard. He goes wherever he wants, but he's also strategic for what he wants to do. He might just send them to test us before making his move. But sooner or later, one player is going to have their checkmate."

"I thought the checkmate was what happened when the king couldn't move and was already in check?" Ragnarök said back. "Is there a rule I missed when we were playing last time? I could have sworn you had taught me every rule until I could speak them by heart."

"It's just a metaphor," Kira told him, her gaze on the forest as Pokémon cries began to ring out - the signal. "But you two better get ready to take control as soon as something goes wrong. The forest Pokémon have called out that the Infected have arrived. What a bother."

As the cries began to become low, an explosion suddenly tore through the town. Kira yipped as she was thrown skyward, surprise tearing through her. As she started to fall once more, she quickly extended her vines, slamming them into the ground to soften her landing. Her landing wasn't exactly the smoothest, though, and she ending up stumbling a bit as she recovered from the initial shock of the attack.

As Kira began to focus once more, one thing became apparent: the town was now up in flames. She clenched a fist as the cries began to pick up once more, but they were ones of panic and fear now. Kira quickly shook to clear her head and ears of the ringing. Now was not the time to worry about the town. It was to worry about the Pokémon and their lives.

"Just find and take out the captain and you won't have to kill anyone else," she mumbled as she took off for the forest. "Just try and find them, and don't try and kill anyone else." She grinned lightly before a thought reached her. How would she know who was leading them? She doubted she would be able to tell a difference. Just like Skarmory, she couldn't exactly tell that he had been leading any. He looked just like them.

"I believe they may have a bigger flame than those around them," Arceus told her. "I recall that the first Infected Pokémon I ever met had a flame larger than a Pokémon it had Infected itself. Perhaps it can't spread Fear as well as Kyofu, so their flames are larger than those below them. Keep an eye out for that, Kira. I have to work on something to help you with the others."

Kira nodded lightly and bolted into the forest. Upon entry, her vision was filled with the familiar colors of both Fear and Flame. Her own Flame pushed back against the fear, but she knew this was Ragnarök's work as he absolutely destroyed everything that tried to get into her mind. Even then, she felt nothing as the Fear began to grow. Where were all the enemies? Up to this point, she had only seen the flames Fear, not the Pokémon themselves.

"There's something wrong here," Kira whispered to herself as she glanced around - the cries had also calmed so something must have happened. "I get the feeling that this isn't an invasion at all, Arceus. I think there's someone here who's trying to mess with us. I just don't know who."

As she was coming to a stop, a familiar giggle echoed around her. She froze in fear as she recognized it, although it had been a really long time since she had last heard that voice.

"Zorua," she hissed loudly as she glanced around. "Come out of the shadows, you filthy fox. Why are you siding with Kyofu in this battle, huh? I thought that you would at least have some sort of pride after all that's happened. Why let this fool control you?"

"Because I thought it would be fun to watch as you suffered every step of the way as you returned home," Zorua whispered, her voice echoing around her. "Kyofu's Fear made me realize just how much I hate the people in the spotlight. It made me realize how much I hate Pokémon like you, Kira. It let me feel what I wanted to say the most: I hate everyone who is more special than I am."

Kira growled lightly, but she couldn't take another step before she was sent flying back. She slammed into a nearby tree, where she then hit the ground in both shock and pain. She could barely tell where anything was now, and this insane amount of power made her feel fear as well. Even then, how was Zorua this powerful? She didn't seem like the kind of Pokémon to hide so much potential behind a mask. And why would she hate Pokémon more special than her? All Pokémon were special in their own special ways, right?

"You don't need to do this," Kira told Zorua. "You are special, but sometimes other Pokémon are just more out there than you. I would know, Zorua. I'm not known by the entire world for something I've done. Heck, I'm barely known around Esperanza Town. And it's not like I'm staying here forever. When I go home, I won't be in the spotlight of this world. You'll be higher than me. Please, Zorua. Just let go of your Fear."

Zorua fell silent for a moment before a light chuckle escaped her lips. "I'd rather burn in Hell than let you go, you filthy bastard." Zorua giggled lightly before she appeared before Kira. "I'm sick and of your games, Kira. I'm sick and tired of being numero dos to you. I'm sick... and I'm tired... of your existence."

Kira grit her teeth and backed away from the Zorua. How was she being controlled by Fear so much? Skarmory was irrational, and Lucas had just been mad, but Zorua seemed to understand everything she was saying. What made no sense about it was that she was thinking that Kira was trying to be above her. There was something about it that was so terrifying, and yet there was something so familiar.

Kira shook her head and tried to make sense of it, but she didn't get the chance before pain began to tear through her. She hissed loudly and a hand instinctively reached to her chest, a thick liquid running from it and over her hand: blood. How had she not seen the attack that had caused this? Was she just that distracted?

"I'll kill you," Zorua whispered, her voice dark and deep. "I'll tear you limb from limb, watching as you slowly bleed out to death. I'll watch every drop of blood as it drips from you and reaches the ground." She smirked as her eyes became dark and the Fear began to expand. "I'll accomplish master's mission, and it'll be me who he praises for so. Be scared, Kira. Be very, very scared."

Kira... Kira couldn't feel anything but fear. Her own Flames were nothing compared to what Zorua was giving off, which made her think. The last time she had seen something like this, Xatu had been trying to take down Ragnarök. His Fear had been huge, but it had been quenched by Ragnarök's simple words. Why couldn't she do the same thing, though? Why was she unable to fight back like a voice inside her head?

Kira was dragged from her thoughts as he vision began to become dark. She lost all feeling in her lower half, which then caused her to collapse to her hands and knees. Her gaze remained on the ground as she felt the blood within her start to slow. Her own heartbeat began to suffer the same fate, until a feeling of hope began to run through her.

"Leaf," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "Take my place and take down this monster. Show them the mercy we showed to Kiminari and Xatu. Show Zorua... just what it means to be afraid." Kira then opened her eyes, showing them to be a bright green. "Burn in Hell, filth."

Zorua smirked lightly as her Fear began to come back, becoming even darker than it had been before. She looked at Leaf with a dark grin before licking her lips. Leaf, on the other hand, forced herself to stand with a frown. They were both ticked at each other, but for different reasons it seemed.

"I'll show you what it means to be determined to get rid of your foe," Leaf said calmly, her scars healing rather quickly compared to the normal healing of a Snivy in the sun. "So, would you please show me something useful, Zorua? I don't need you to be another Xatu."

"Don't worry," Zorua hissed. "I'm not like that foolish Guardian. I don't have a sense of pride left to hold me into the rules that you mortals follow. I won't hold back like him. I'll show you the true power that Kyofu's Guardians can hold."

'So she's a replacement Guardian,' Leaf thought with a chuckle. 'First Xatu hiding Kyurem, and now Kyofu hiding Zorua. I wonder just how this'll go. No doubt we'll win, though. Years of rest can make a Flame even more powerful.' "Enjoy your time alive, Zorua. I sure did, but now I'm going to kill you and finish you like Sage and Aaron to Kyurem."

Leaf quickly took off, jumping into a tree as a powerful beam of darkness slammed into the tree that had been behind her only moments before. Leaf looked down upon the Zorua before she appeared in another tree, grinning as she avoided yet another late attack. Leaf didn't really seem to be trying to dodge, nor was she really wanting to fight back. She was a strategist, not an offense or counter kind of person.

Leaf was forced to jump once more as yet another powerful pulse of darkness slammed into the tree where she had been thinking to herself in. Zorua seemed to be a master of dark attacks, and yet she wasn't using her illusions for some reason. There was something about it that was off to her, but she didn't bother to think about if for long as she could hear loud cries from the forest - likely reinforcements for the invasion.

"How disappointing that even you have to use such a trick as reinforcements," Leaf mumbled as she looked at Zorua, spitting on the ground before dodging yet another attack. "Although I get the feeling these cries are not of the normal Pokémon. Such a disappointment, though. Even I, a former Flame Guard, must admit that."

"Did you really think I would bring along reinforcements?" Zorua chuckled. "I am a Pokémon of illusion and trickery. I don't need reinforcements to tear apart an entire time. I just need time and a fool who thinks they're fighting an enemy. And Aaron was that perfect fool. Sage lived with a Zoroark for far too long, and Wigglytuff is too much of a child. All the other guild members are too weak, but he... He tries too hard to be like his older brother."

Leaf simply smirked and put a hand to her heart. "How heartwarming to hear you say such a thing about him," she whispered, a dark grin appearing. "That means that I don't have to worry about your tricks reaching us as you try to tear the world apart bit by bit. After all, there's only so much illusion you can control. Even a Guardian's Breakthrough can't extend that power."

Zorua's eyes widened in what appeared to be fear as she began to attack once more. Before the pulse of darkness could come from her, a root shot up from the ground and straight through her waist. She gasped out as the ground disappeared from under her, filling her with a sense of terror. Her eyes then began to light up, showing that she was losing a hold over herself. She looked up to Leaf, who was yawning lightly.

"How... can you be so calm.. when a town... was just destroyed?" Zorua coughed, blood running from her waist and down the plant. "How can you yawn when your life just destroyed hundreds? How... are you still smiling even after all you've caused by coming here and existing?"

"It's not my life that you need to question, fool," Leaf mumbled, wiping away so blood from her own lip. "I just do as I'm asked to do. Adding on to that, I think it's just completely normal that this happens. I'm just trying to get home so the lives of these Pokémon are all better. That's why I'm calm and smiling; all because I'm just trying to make their own lives better, unlike you."

Zorua whimpered and looked up at her. The fear had turned to sorrow, and that sorrow soon became regret. "I'm so sorry, Kira," she whispered, closing her eyes as tears began to form. "I was such a fool for listening to Kyofu and thinking that I could be something special. You probably hate me now. I deserve this death. I deserve the death of a traitor."

Leaf sighed and shrugged lightly. "Well, I can't blame you for thinking that, but it isn't all your fault, Zorua. Kyofu is very persuasive. What you did was caused by his actions, Zorua. Now, don't even regret a single decision you have made up to this point. Sure, you're dying because you betrayed your fellow Pokémon, but be proud." Leaf smiled and slowly began to walk away. "I'll alert the townsfolk of this. Don't worry, Zorua. I'm sure Arceus will still love you."

"So that's what happened to our homes?" a Marill asked, looking at Kira with a bit of sadness in his eyes. "I mean, I know it was an accident, but I'm still kind of sad that this had to happen. Where are we going to go now? Our mama is still sick, and most Pokémon here aren't fit enough to leave the town."

"There will be shelters set up by dusk, sir," Kira said, smiling lightly as she looked at the townsfolk. "For those of you capable, I recommend that you try and find any food that you can. I can tell you the next couple of days will be hard, but I can also assure you that they will bring Pokémon like us together. I don't know how, but I can tell you that we will protect this town from any more attacks. You have my word."

Kira knew that it wasn't much, but after everything, she was sure that even just a few words was more than enough. She herself felt hopeless, but she didn't want anyone else to feel the same thing. Sure, it was a hard thing to lie about, but what choice did they have? The villagers had almost panicked during the evacuation, and now would be an even worse time for such a thing. Kira quickly shook her head. Now was no the time to be worrying.

As she headed further into town, where Sage and the guild were waiting, a heavy feeling filled her heart. During the illusion caused by Zorua, Aaron had attacked Sage. Sage hadn't been happy with the attack from his brother, and he... he had... Sage had killed his own brother, although it had really all been in self defense. For once, Sage actually seemed like he was mourning, although it hadn't been long. Wigglytuff and Chatot, on the other hand, had take it rather harshly, even actually debating what would happen to Sage. He was right to say it was in self defense, but neither of them had seem the illusions. Neither of them had been tricked like Aaron had.

"I just don't understand why you can stand yourself after what you did," Chatot snapped at Sage. "You killed an innocent Pokémon! You know what you did was wrong and yet you won't admit it, Sage! We trust you and all, but this crosses a line. Infected are one thing, but family is another."

"Get off my tail about it, jackass," Sage returned with a growl. "Listen here, Chatot. I know you think this was all some elaborate trap, but there are many things going on here that even you wouldn't understand. This isn't the paralysis anymore, Chatot. There are real threats this time, and they're gonna kill us if we don't fight with all our strength. Even family will have to be sacrificed for this cause. And Aaron was long overdue anyways." Sage sighed and sat down, his head low. "I've always been scared of them, and now I see that they're not scared of us. I can't be afraid to kill those I love anymore. If I see even a flicker of Fear in them, blood will be spilled, Chatot. You have to see that, or else you'll die as well."

"And you say that as you're mourning over the loss of your family," Chatot snarled back. "He disappeared for years, abandoning you for his own desires, Sage. He left, and he pretended to love you, only to betray you in the end. You say that he cares, but did he really? Was he ever truly your brother? Was he ever one to care?"

"My little brother had too much of a heart to fight anything when he was still a Rockruff," Sage told Chatot. "The first time I ever saw him battle, he lost because he cared too much. But it was when we met Lonliness that I realized that he only fought when he was a cornered wolf. He cares too much to fight, Chatot. He only attacked because of something else. Because there was an illusion tearing through his eyes. He didn't grow up with a Zoroark, Chatot, so he fell for it. There was no invasion, because it was all a simple illusion. Kyofu is smart, so us fighting is getting nowhere. Let's just push this behind us, okay? I don't want to have to kill you too."

Chatot looked like he was about to snap back, but Kira stepped over, silencing him. "The town is still in shock, sir. We need to split off and do our duties if we're to recover. I'll search around for the other Guardians while I trust you and the guild will rebuild the town. Sage, take a break or something. After all you've done for us, you deserve it."

"Like hell I do," Sage mumbled, his arms crossed. "I killed a legendary Pokémon, I abandoned my family to become stronger, and I just killed my brother. Since when have I ever done something good for this world?"

"You saved me," Kira responded. "I don't know much about your past, and I'm sure you don't want me to, but without you, I'd be dead and my world would be too. Because you helped me become who I am, this world is still kicking and I'm still breathing. Without your help, who knows what would happen?"

"Such sweet words for a bitter meal," Chatot told her. "Sage has been the cause of hundreds of deaths in this world. Because of him. I wonder how many families have lost Pokémon they loved. After all, you didn't go to help them when they asked for you, did you? Because of you, hundreds of families were killed by Kyofu's third invasion."

"Why are you blaming him and Kyofu?" Kira asked before Sage could respond. "As far as I'm aware, Necrozma was the one leading the charge not too long ago. When Kyofu took control, Zorua was the only one who attacked. Kyofu may be bold, but he isn't dumb. He's strategizing like no one else could. He's keeping his numbers up for a war between the Infected and Pokémon like us. Blaming others for the past will get us nowhere, okay? We have to move on from that and pick ourselves up. Soon enough, war will begin, and this fight was only a taste of what is to come."

"For a kid, you sure know your way with words," Wigglytuff said, pepping with a light smile. "But you might be right, young one. Sage, a war was written in that cave you discovered, right?" Sage nodded in response. "As expected, the Fates were never wrong, and they still aren't. Chatot, we need to make a call. I expect you will handle the details while me and the guild set up temporary homes before Gurdurr and the Timburr arrive to fix up the damage that was caused. Sage, please do take a break and do something other than fight for a while. Kira, the information you requested is in my chambers in the guild. I trust you will take this research and do everything in your power to stop Kyofu."

Kira nodded and looked to the others. Sure, everything had been because of her, but there was something about it that made her feel a bit of joy in what they had done. There may have been many lives lost during this all, but sacrifice was necessary to win these kinds of fights. Even then, Kira knew this would weigh heavily on her shoulders until the day she died.

Shaking her head, Kira turned and began towards the guild. Right here was where she had begun everything that had led to this moment. Right here was where the world would take a turn for the worst. But right here is where she steeled up her courage and began to push on. Never again would she try and talk to her enemies, but she would fight until she was either dead or could return home.

"There is no time like the present. And the future is what matters in the moment."

Input: Hello. If you are reading this, then it means you have finished Chapter 12: Black and Green. A war is coming, and so is the end. Who will win? The Infected? Or will it be those left in the state of normality? Also, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. If you notice any errors, please inform me and I will fix them as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please ask me and I will try to explain them to the best of my ability. Thank you for reading.